City Of Atlanta Issues Indoor Mask Mandate For All Public Places

For those that stopped, it’s back to being “mask on” in the city of Atlanta.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order late Wednesday night requiring masks to be worn in all public places while indoors.

This action is a response to the spike in Coronavirus infections, the impact of the Delta variant, and new CDC guidance that’s occurring in the United States. 

“Public health experts overwhelmingly agree, and data has proved, that wearing a face covering helps slow the spread of this deadly virus,” Bottoms said in a statement. “As COVID-19 rates increase, we must remain vigilant, wear a mask, follow CDC guidelines and other measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities.”

This mandate is effective for vaccinated and non-vaccinated people. 

According to the newest data from Becker’s Hospital Review, Georgia currently ranks 44th in the country based on percentage of population fully vaccinated at just over 38 percent.

Citing new information about the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.

The new guidance follows recent decisions in Los Angeles and St. Louis to revert to indoor mask mandates amid a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that have been especially bad in the South. The country is averaging more than 57,000 cases a day and 24,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations.

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